Cutbacks to affect 200,000 elderly

London: More than 200,000 frail elderly people will lose meals on wheels and other care at home in a savage round of cutbacks.

Only the most seriously sick and disabled will retain the right to free meals and help with washing, cleaning and shopping by next year.

Rising demand and costs are forcing social services to restrict home assistance, a Whitehall report reveals.

It provides strong evidence that the weakest and most vulnerable are likely to suffer first from spending cuts that will follow the government's decision to plough vast amounts into saving failed banks and financial institutions.

Local councils have long found it easier to make savings by cutting services for the elderly rather than more widely visible targets, such as closing swimming pools.

They are also deeply reluctant to antagonise powerful public sector unions by reducing jobs or pay for their staff.

The restrictions mean that by next spring about 600,000 elderly will have lost the right to free home help since 2006.

About 1.5 million people were given care at home by their local authority last year at a cost of about £7 billion (Dh42 billion) - but the amount of money has been falling in recent years.